New Jersey Break Laws (2026)
Last updated: 2026-10-07 · Checked against the statute text and state agency guidance · Minors only
| Adult meal break | Not required |
|---|---|
| Adult rest break | Not required (short breaks you give must be paid) |
| Minors | Under 18: 30 min if over 6 h; max 6 h straight |
| Lactation | Accommodation law (all employers) |
| Enforcing agency | New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Wage and Hour Compliance; N.J. Division on Civil Rights (lactation) |
Heads up: Many guides say New Jersey minors get a break after 5 hours; the statute and NJDOL say more than 6 continuous hours.
New Jersey break scheduler
Pick a state and enter the shift. You'll get every break the law requires, the latest time each can start, a suggested schedule, and — if you enter the breaks actually taken — a compliance check with California premium pay.
New Jersey · Adult (18+) · 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
On site 10 h · hours worked 10 h
No meal or rest break is required by New Jersey law for this shift.
Federal law still applies: breaks of about 5–20 minutes you choose to give must be paid, and an unpaid meal must be a real duty-free break (ordinarily 30+ minutes). Different rules apply to minors — switch the employee type.
Scheduling aid, not legal advice. Industry wage orders, union contracts and employer-specific exemptions can change the rules — see the New Jersey break law page for citations.
New Jersey meal break law
No state law requires meal periods for adult private-sector employees; federal FLSA applies (no meal break required; bona fide meal periods of 30+ minutes with the employee completely relieved of duty may be unpaid, 29 CFR 785.19).
Source: official guidance
New Jersey rest break law
No state rest-break requirement for adult private-sector employees. Federal rule: short breaks (about 5-20 minutes), if given, must be paid (29 CFR 785.18).
Breaks for minors in New Jersey
'No minor under eighteen years of age shall be employed or permitted to work for more than six hours continuously without an interval of at least thirty minutes for a lunch period, and no period of less than thirty minutes shall be deemed to interrupt a continuous period of work.' (NJDOL: 'All minors must be given a 30-minute meal break after 6 continuous hours of work.')
Source: N.J.S.A. 34:2-21.4
Lactation breaks in New Jersey
Under the Law Against Discrimination, which covers essentially all New Jersey employers regardless of size, employers must reasonably accommodate breastfeeding/lactating employees unless they show undue hardship; at a minimum they must provide 'reasonable break time each day' and 'a suitable room or other location with privacy, other than a toilet stall,' in close proximity to the work area, to express milk. 'Breastfeeding' is a protected class (no discrimination, harassment or retaliation). No age limit on the child and no specified minutes.
Pay: Not specified (no state paid-break requirement).
Federal floor (PUMP Act): reasonable break time and a private space that isn't a bathroom for one year after birth, for nearly all employees; unpaid unless the employee isn't fully relieved of duty. Employers with fewer than 50 employees may be exempt only if compliance would cause undue hardship.
Source: N.J.S.A. 10:5-12(s) (Law Against Discrimination, breastfeeding amendments eff. 2018)
Frequently asked questions
Are breaks required by law in New Jersey?
No adult break law. Minors under 18: a 30-minute meal after more than 6 continuous hours. Federal law requires no breaks, but short breaks that are given must be paid and unpaid meal periods must be duty-free.
How many breaks do you get for an 8-hour shift in New Jersey?
None for adults — New Jersey has no general meal or rest break law. Under federal law, any short break you give (5–20 minutes) must be paid.
Do minors get breaks in New Jersey?
'No minor under eighteen years of age shall be employed or permitted to work for more than six hours continuously without an interval of at least thirty minutes for a lunch period, and no period of less than thirty minutes shall be deemed to interrupt a continuous period of work.' (NJDOL: 'All minors must be given a 30-minute meal break after 6 continuous hours of work.')
Are lactation breaks required in New Jersey?
Under the Law Against Discrimination, which covers essentially all New Jersey employers regardless of size, employers must reasonably accommodate breastfeeding/lactating employees unless they show undue hardship; at a minimum they must provide 'reasonable break time each day' and 'a suitable room or other location with privacy, other than a toilet stall,' in close proximity to the work area, to express milk. 'Breastfeeding' is a protected class (no discrimination, harassment or retaliation). No age limit on the child and no specified minutes. The federal PUMP Act also applies: reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for one year after birth.
Official New Jersey sources
Figures checked against these sources on 2026-10-07- Minors — N.J.S.A. 34:2-21.4
- Lactation — N.J.S.A. 10:5-12(s) (Law Against Discrimination, breastfeeding amendments eff. 2018)
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Wage and Hour Compliance; N.J. Division on Civil Rights (lactation)
- U.S. DOL — Breaks and meal periods (FLSA)
- 29 U.S.C. 218d — PUMP Act
Compare
Also “Minors only”: Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin
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Helpful guides
General information, not legal advice. Industry rules, union contracts and agency exemptions can change these requirements. Confirm with New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Wage and Hour Compliance; N.J. Division on Civil Rights (lactation).